By Tami Hubler -

“And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.' ” Mark 16:15

The Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® are right around the corner. Did you know:
  • 371 million people are in North America.
  • 350 languages are spoken in North America.
  • 281 million people live without the hope of the Gospel in North America.
It’s incredible to think that 281 MILLION people in North America do not have the eternal hope that comes with believing in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection!
 
The challenge in 2024 is to “proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”. What better way to do this than by going on a North American mission trip! In this 4-part series, we’ll explore how easy it is (and not at a great cost) to plan a mission trip in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico – even if you’ve never been on mission!

In Part 1 of this series, we’ll explore the Who – What – Where – When – and How:
 
WHO
The North American Mission Board provides excellent, low-cost opportunities to go on mission in North America through pre-planned mission experiences with Send Relief ministry leaders.

You will find trips catered for adults, college, and youth or a mix of all of these at sendrelief.org/trips/.

WHAT
From construction work, medical support, and adults and children ministries, Send Relief has an excellent website that provides information on low-cost mission trip options. Go to volunteer.sendrelief.org/ to see all the options available.

WHERE
Get ready to go to Puerto Rico, Appalachia, Large Cities, and remote areas! A plethora of choices exist for you at Send Relief. Each trip strives to help with their local community’s needs and share the hope of the gospel. You’ll be able to find just the right location to meet your budget.

WHEN
Don’t let the time of year be an obstacle! Send Relief has mission opportunities from February to December.

HOW
1. Find a mission trip at sendrelief.org/trips/
     a. Use the live chat option for any questions you may have.

2. Read the FAQ, Daily Schedule, and What to Bring documents provided at the links on the bottom of the mission trip description page. Here you will find answers to most of your questions.

3. Invite others to join you (most trips require a minimum of 5 individuals).
    a.     If you are going by yourself, join a trip that already has participants and make new friends!
    b.    Announce the trip!
                  i.    Announce the trip and dates during service.
                ii.    Create a sign-up sheet which includes Full Name and Email Address.
               iii.   Print or provide the links to the FAQ, Daily Schedule and What to Bring 
               documents to share with those who may be interested.
    c.     Many trips allow children 12 years or older to participate.

4. Sign Up for the Event
    a.  Click on the “Sign Up For This Event” yellow button located on the upper right 
         of the description page of the mission trip.
    b.   You will register as the Leader and have an opportunity to create a name for your mission team.
    c.    Enter the other participant information:
                 i.  You’ll need to know the names and email addresses of those who are going to 
              add them to your team when you register for the trip.
    d.    Send the link to each person on your mission team so they can register.

This picture is an example of the trip description page – to sign up, you’ll click on the yellow “Sign Up For This Event” button in the upper right corner of the screen.

5. Monitor. Ta-da! You now have your own team dashboard to monitor team members’ completion on trainings, background checks and payments.
    a.    Team members are responsible for completing their own personal information, 
          training, and payments.
    b.    NOTE: The participant isn’t fully registered until they complete training and the 
          background check process (and pay their fee!)
    c.     TIP: you will have to track when individuals pay their fees. More on that in Part 2 of this series.

The picture below shows my dashboard for our church’s upcoming mission trip. It  monitors the status of 15 individuals. The cost of this trip to Porcupine, South Dakota is $240 per person for a week and includes meals and lodging. Travel is not included but you may lower the total trip cost per person by registering for a mission trip close to your location.


The 2nd part of this series will focus on registration and travel tip costs. Commit to planning a mission trip in 2024!

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Tami Hubler serves as the Indiana WMU First Vice President and WMU Director of Indiana’s East Central Baptist Association.